No, it kinda bugs me, too. Though e-mails don't usually have anything really personal in them, I wouldn't like it if I found mine posted somewhere. If they ask first, sure, so I know it's happening...

I don't know. I don't see any reason to ban it from the board, because you never know if it's something they got permission to do (and even if they don't have permission, they could still lie).

I'm both sides of the fence on the issue.... but as long as I'm not the one being rude to my friends, it's not my business. It's the other guy who is going to cause serious offense to someone eventually and then they'll realize they were being insensitive. *shrug*

I feel bad, coco, because I know I did that My reason is not as a “learning material”, though. I just wanted to understand what my new penpal was saying to me, and I really didn’t want to blow her off. On the bright side, I’m getting a teensy bit better at understanding, so I won’t post another e-mail again. If it were me, I have to admit, I wouldn’t feel that bad, because I know English is hard. So, if she needed help understanding, I wouldn’t mind her asking for it. (I do try to talk in Japanese, though).

I’m with mandolin, I guess; that is, on both sides. If someone was being really rude and uncaring about his or her friend’s message, I wouldn’t like it. But if it was someone in need of help understanding because of the language barrier, I could totally understand (it happened to me, after all). It depends on each situation, I guess.

Please don’t feel bad Sachi, you are not the pioneer after all, guess there are people who had did that before you. Everyone learns thru experiences. 經一事，長一智 Since coco had pointed out that, it’s rather a good reminder for everyone for fear that massive translations are requested in this aspect, which I think it’s not appropriate in some circumstances. In my opinion, any private mail from friends regardless of any race/languages shouldn’t be disclosed, especially being treated as learning materials on the web!

To me, this question concerns more on relationship rather than just learning languages…….. Ermm….. When there’s a will, there’s a way. The best way is to be frank & sincere to ask the sender himself/herself about the messages, this really shows how you cherish the good relationship.

I was at the other forum (a Chinese one) the other time and there was this non-Chinese guy who posted his entire Chinese loveletter from his Chinese girlfriend, for the entire world to see. It was a very sad and touching one, and absolutely personal. Well he said that his girlfriend didn't want to translate for him, leaving him without much options. So should he have kept quiet and let his girlfriend's words be a mystery and causing misunderstandings, or should he consult some help from strangers (with the slim chance of them knowing him) to let him understand his girlfriend love for him?

I think the girlfriend will understand. Its just a matter of how you look at it.

Shirley Sia wrote:In my opinion, any private mail from friends regardless of any race/languages shouldn’t be disclosed, especially being treated as learning materials on the web!

To me, this question concerns more on relationship rather than just learning languages…….. Ermm….. When there’s a will, there’s a way. The best way is to be frank & sincere to ask the sender himself/herself about the messages, this really shows how you cherish the good relationship.

Agree 110%. And if you really can't or don't want to ask to the sender I would ask help to ONE good friend I can trust via a PM.

This is why I want to learn more Japanese before getting a Japanese pen pal. To avoid awkward situations like the one on this thread (no offense to Sachi or anyone else). Conversations like this depress me, as I once did something similar to this. Unintentionally, yes, but there was damage done because of it. That's all i'm going to say....

Last edited by Takeo Saeki on Sun 02.12.2006 5:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

the way i see it (and alot of ppl probably do), its not showing other ppl what your penpal said or being a hotshot (ie, "look at what my japanese girlfriend wrote to me!!"), its just asking what they said.

Ok........That Jose guy is strange, for studying japanese for years he doesn't seem to know much of it.

the way i see it (and alot of ppl probably do), its not showing other ppl what your penpal said or being a hotshot (ie, "look at what my japanese girlfriend wrote to me!!"), its just asking what they said.

but please...censor it.

Oh Jose is in an perfect relationship, his girlfriend talks to him, he runs home and asks us what she said. It will be an interesting wedding, and if they have kids we can tell him what they said as well.